1. Technical Field
The invention relates to layer-thickness restriction members, developing devices, methods for manufacturing restriction blades, and blade-forming molds.
2. Related Art
Image forming apparatuses such as a laser beam printer have been well-known. Such image forming apparatuses are furnished with an image bearing body that is for bearing a latent image, and a developing device that develops a latent image borne by the image bearing body with developer, for example. When image signals and the like are transmitted from an external device, such as a host computer, the image forming apparatus develops a latent image borne by the image bearing body using developer contained in the developing device, and forms a developer image. And then, the developer image is transferred onto a medium, and an image is finally formed on the medium.
In order to realize the above-mentioned functions, etc. for developing a latent image borne by the image bearing body, the above-mentioned developing device includes a developer-bearing body that bears developer and a layer-thickness restriction member (a restriction blade including the layer-thickness restriction member) that is for restricting a layer thickness of developer borne by the developer-bearing body by abutting against the developer-bearing body at an abutting surface. In this developing device, the layer-thickness restriction member restricts a layer thickness of developer borne by the developer-bearing body, and the developing device develops a latent image borne by the image bearing body with the developer whose layer thickness is restricted.
It is desirable that a layer thickness of developer restricted by the layer-thickness restriction member is even. This is because, if a layer thickness of developer is uneven, there are cases in which, for example, streaks, etc. appear in a developer image developed by the developer-bearing body and the quality of the developer image deteriorates.
By the way, the above-mentioned layer-thickness restriction member is a molded article, and there are cases in which a flash is created when molding this layer-thickness restriction member. The above-mentioned flash means an unnecessary section that is squeezed out of edge of the layer-thickness restriction member and the like when molding (processing) resin, and the like. It can be considered to remove the created flash, but there are cases in which the flash is not removed in order to simplify processes for manufacturing a layer-thickness restriction member. However, if the flash is not removed, when the flash is located close to the developer-bearing body, there is a possibility in which the layer-thickness restriction member restricts unevenly a layer thickness of developer borne by the developer-bearing body.
Further, for example, the restriction blade includes an abutting member that abuts against the developer-bearing body at an abutting surface, and a supporting member to which an adhering surface of the abutting member adheres and that is for supporting the abutting member, the adhering surface being located on an opposite side from the abutting surface in a thickness direction of the abutting member.
As a method for manufacturing the restriction blade, there is known a method for obtaining the restriction blade in which the abutting member and the supporting member are separately molded or formed in any other way and the adhering surface of the molded abutting member and the molded supporting member adhere to each other. And, there are cases of employing, as a method for molding the abutting member, a method for molding the abutting member by injection molding by injecting material of the abutting member into a mold that includes a first mold that includes an abutting-surface forming section for forming the abutting surface, and a second mold that includes an adhering-surface forming section for forming the adhering surface and that is movable relative to the first mold.
By the way, if the abutting member is molded by injection molding, a flash is likely to be created on a section of a boundary surface between the first mold and the second mold when molding the abutting member by injection molding. If the supporting member and the adhering surface, of the abutting member, on which the flash is created adhere to each other, there are cases in which the adhering surface does not adhere to the supporting member properly, and there is a possibility that this makes the precision of the manufactured restriction blade deteriorate.
Note that JP-A-2005-144840 and JP-A-2006-84550 are examples of a related art.